Major improvement is needed at a town centre restaurant after it was slapped with a 1/5 food hygiene rating.

Tops Royal Cuisine in The Parade, Watford, was inspected on January 17 before the rating was published on February 22.

The Bangladeshi restaurant's hygienic food handling was found “generally satisfactory”, but "major improvement" was needed in cleanliness, condition of the facilities and building, and the management of food safety.

Watford Observer: Tops Royal CuisineTops Royal Cuisine (Image: Google Street View)

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Company director Fatab Shah said the inspectors caught the restaurant on a bad day, adding: “On the day that she came we were short on staff, and it is true the shop was a little bit messy.

“Everything that needed upgrading we have upgraded."

Upon a revisit a few days later, he says they were impressed with the improvements.

Even where a revisit shows improvement, ratings remain in place after a food hygiene inspection until all issues found have been rectified and a rescore has been requested.

Mr Shah says the restaurant is preparing for another inspection in March.